PROPOSALS FOR
Ist CADRE REVIEW
OF
PROGRAMME CADRE
OF
ALL INDIA RADIO& DOORDARSHAN
DECEMBER 2008
SUBMITTED
BY
PROGRAMME STAFF ASSOCIATION OF AIR&DD
CONTENTS
Sl. No: Chapter PageNo:
1 Background to the Cadre Review 02
2 Purpose and objectives of the Cadre Review 05
3 Saving the stagnating sentinels 10
4 Proposals for Revised IB(P)S Structure 17
5 Proposals for Revised Feeder Cadre to IB(P)S 18
6 Non feeder cadres to IB(P)S in AIR&DD 20
7 Savings from Dieing Cadres 21
8. Proposed Programme Cadre Structure 23
9. Mode of Recruitment and Eligibility
Criteria for Various Grade 24
10. Break-up of Posts in AIR unit-wise 28
11. Break-up of Posts in DD unit-wise 31
12 Relative Strength of various Prog. cadre
& Analysis of Expenditure 34
13 Conclusion 37
1
BACKGROUND TO THE CADRE REVIEW
1.0 : All India Radio was started in 1936 and Doordarshan in 1965. As on date, there are 287 AIR stations and 69 Doordarshan Kendras / PGF. There are over 4000 programme staff in AIR and DD encompassing various cadres. There has been no cadre review for the programme staffin the last 46 years inspite of the recruitment rules being amended several times.
1.1 : A cadre review committee for group-B and group-C cadres was set up on 09.08.1991 but it was not followed through. The vast expansion in the network of AIR & DD stations (as given in illustrations, next page ) coupled with the challenge from the private electronic media is threatening the very foundation of public service broadcasting in our Nation. This cadre review is intended to streamline the programme cadres andorient them to a changing media industry. It also contemplates to overcome the huge levels of stagnation affecting the programme staff in All India Radio and Doordarshan, the national broadcasters.
1.2 : The mandate of the national broadcaster from its original motto of inform, educate & entertain has grown to include revenue generation as well. These four objectives and the severe competition from private broadcasters added to the periodic non-review of cadre structure is killing the national broadcasters.
1.3
127%Expansion
187% Expansion
1: 4 STAGNATION CHART
Cadre / Next promotion post / Eligibility time / Years without promotionTransmission Executive(TREX)/Allied cadres / PEX / 8 years / 22 years (1986 Batch TREX-DR (SSC)
Programme Executive(PEX) / Asstt. Station Director (JTS) / 3 years / 22 years (1986 batch PEX – DR (UPSC)
1.5: STAGNATION PERCENTAGE AMONG PEXs
No. of PEX / 99 / 160 / 77 / 578Years of stagnation / Completed more than 25 years / Completed more than 20 years / Completed more than 19 years / Completed more than 17 years
% of stagnation / 12% / 21% / 09% / 58%
1.6: The gravity of the problem would become clear if the eligible period for promotion of 3 years is taken into consideration. All the serving regular PEX’s have crossed the eligible period for promotion to become JTS officers by six times over.
2
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS CADRE REVIEW
2.0: This cadre review intends to address the three core issues affecting the programme staff in present times;
(a)To over come the vast levels of stagnation
(b)To go in for a functional streamlining of the programme cadres so as to make the service more efficient and
(c)To project the staff strength requirements taking into consideration the exponential expansion of stations/channels, and the changing priorities of AIR/ DD.
2.1 The programme cadre of AIR / DD has to be revitalized by giving promotions to the officers recruited by UPSC and SSC. These officers have joined AIR/DD with high degree of creativity and have been working with missionary zeal. They have been given a raw deal so far by denying them the promotions they deserved long back. This proposal if given serious consideration will mitigate their suffering and revitalize public service broadcasting in our country.
2.2 This proposal intends to give a new designation to the present Director General of AIR and DD as PRINCPAL DIRECTOR GENERALS with out effecting any change in their scale of pay and status. This is to give prominence to the post they hold as News Services Division’s (NSD) head is also known as DG. This proposal paves the way for the creation of 6 HAG (present ADG) level post with designation of Director General to fulfill the functional requirements of AIR and DD and maintain the pyramidal structural IB(P)S intact.
2.3 AIR and DD cannot afford to have ex-cadre Principal DGs in view of the challenges faced by the National Broadcasters. These institutions of national importance should be headed by a programme professional hailing from the parent cadre who has had a long stint in the organization managing it efficiently with prospective outlook.
2.4 Hence 3 HAG level (Present ADG level) posts each in AIR & DD (thus 6 HAG posts) are necessary to give promotional avenues for the SAG officers in AIR & DD. The senior most among the respective stream should be declared as the Principal DG of AIR & DD respectively.
2.5 As such all SAG level officers need to be designated as ADGs and JAG officer
as DDGs (Deputy Director Generals).
2.6:PERCENTAGE OF POST ABOVE SAG IN VARIOUS ALL INDIA SERVICES
Name of the service / % Posts in Grades Higher than SAGIndian Civil Accounts Service / 2.04
Indian Railway Tariff Service / 2.83
Indian Postal Service / 4.46
Indian Audit & Account Service / 3.30
Indian Revenue Service / 1.13
Indian Information Service / 1.01
Average of all Class-1 Central Service / 1.74
IB(P)S / 00
(0.4%*)
As per threshold analysis provided by DoP&T
*Proposed in the new IB(P)S structure.
2.7: The large scale stagnation in programme cadre could be cleared only by giving promotions to PEXs to various level up to SAG by counting their valuable service they put in Group – B Gazetted Service as one time measure. Otherwise efficacy of IB(P)S will be reduced to the present stalemate of non-filling of higher posts above STS level for many more years. Logically these posts were meant for the present UPSC recruited officers belonging to 1982 and subsequent batches.
2.8: All the PEXs who have put up of 8 years of regular service should be inducted in to STS initially and there after the quota for JTS promotion should be restricted to 60% .
2.9: Having 4 streams in IB(P)S viz. AIR – Management, AIR – Production, DD – Management, DD – Production have helped only to increase litigations and frustration among eligible officers. It is proposed to have only 2 streams in IB(P)S for the following reasons. Having four streams in I B (P) S have not addressed the demand of emerging trends in Broadcasting as the need of the hour is multi-tasking. There has to be an element of managerial quality in every officer put on production and each officer entrusted with management has to imbibe latest production techniques and creativity to command the team. In a nutshell an officer in IB(P)S should possesses both managerial and creative attributes and both these qualities are inseparable. At the time of opting for entry into IB(P)S the officer has to choose either AIR or DD. Thereafter their seniority will be determined by their relative seniority in AIR or DD streams.
2.10: To avoid furthers litigations and harmonious functioning of the organizations all the artistes posts (erstwhile contractual performing and non-performing artistes of all Categories) of AIR & DD should be declared as dieing cadre post. The incumbent staff should be given ACP as per 6th pay commission recommendations. The services provided by these categories of staff could be easily outsourced in the changed scenario. This will help the organization financially and face the stiff competition from the private channels.
2.11: For improving the working ambience of the organization and help the command structure of the programme wing any recruitment in the subordinate programme cadre should start with Transmission Executive, discipline wise. It is suggested that any future recruitment for the following disciplines in AIR & DD may start with Transmission Executive in Programme cadre.
a) Librarian
b) Announcer / Presenter
c) News Editor
d) Reporter (News)
e) Other specialized subjects like Farm & Home, Sports etc.
3
Saving the Stagnating Sentinels
3.0: Like our security forces protecting the nation from external invasion programme staff in AIR & DD have been guarding the Indian Civil society from cultural invasion since Independence. When the nation was wrought by food security it was AIR’s dedicated band of programmers who joined hands with our scientific community to bring green revolution in this country. Thanks to AIR’s committed family welfare programmers, the country’s population was prevented from exponential growth. Through its committed programmers, AIR & DD have nurtured communal harmony, religious tolerance and national integration. No amount of money can equal the contribution of the programme cadre of AIR & DD.
3.1: Because of the National Broadcasters’ firm footage on Indian culture; performing arts of India could with stand post-colonial cultural invasions. Indian classical music owes a great deal of indebtedness to AIR. The grading given by AIR is more valued than a post graduate degree given by universities, speaking volumes of quality of work rendered by dedicated staff of AIR.
3.2: Here is an organization under Government of India’s umbrella, where the allocation of funds for software generation percolates down to the beneficiary i.e musicians, farmers, artisans, marginalized labourers ,etc., from all nook and corner of the country, with out any seepage.
3.3: IB(P)S was introduced in 1990 for streamlining the programme cadre of AIR & DD and bringing promotional avenues for the officers from the TREXS to SAG. Over 400 posts of PEXS were abolished to grant matching saving for the enlarged IB(P)S cadre, inspite of the fact that all those projections were based on the number of AIR & DD installations before 1985.
3.4: Notified Strength of IB(P)S
S.No / GRADE / SCALE OF PAY / AIR / DD / TOTAL1 / SAG / Rs.5900-200-6700 / 33 / 29 / 52
2 / JAG / Rs.4500-150-5700 / - / - / -
3 / JAG / Rs.3700-125-4700-150-5000 / 123 / 69 / 192
4 / STS / Rs.3000-100-3500-125-4500 / 318 / 140 / 458
5 / JTS / Rs.2200-75-2800-EB-100-4000 / 290 / 219 / 509
3.5 Thereafter, instead of increasing the posts in each level to commensurate increase in number of Stations and Channels; mandatory cuts were done mechanically as the following table will demonstrate:
Designation / Sanctioned Strength in 1992 / Sanctioned Strength in 2007SAG / 52 / 30
JAG / 192 / 160
STS / 458 / 395
JTS
PEX / 509
1961 / 449
1561
3.6: VACANCY IN IB(P)S
Cadre / Sanctioned strength / Vacant postsSAG / 30 / 19
JAG / 159 / 127
STS / 395 / 265
JTS / 449 / 449*
*There is no regular JTS Officer as on date.
3.7:
3.8: The teething trouble of a new born IB(P)S and omissions and commissions in its draft led to litigations and non filling of posts.
3.7: Again the programme staff had to undergo the suffering of manifold increase in workload and non- promotions and non infusion of young talents in Feeder Sub-Ordinate Programme Cadres.
3.8: It may also be noted that a producer entering in EMRCs of universities and bodies like NCERT are paid more (in JTS scale ) for almost one tenth of the work carried out by a PEX in AIR / DD.
3.9: The parliament Standing committee on Personnel, Public grievances has pinpointed this in the following lines in its latest report:
……………….. I. Grievance of Programme Executives
3.44. On 19th December, 2007, the Committee met the representatives of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Prasar Bharati. During the course of deliberations, the Committee raised the issue of problems faced by the employees working as 'Programme Executives' in the Ministry. Inspite of working hard and honestly for the institution for 21 long years they did not get promotion or financial benefits. The Committee felt that due to such problems the employees lose faith in the institution to solve his/ her grievance and take the shelter of the courts. The Committee feels that the problem/grievance which could easily be solved by the Ministry by taking appropriate measures at the right time could have resulted in settling their grievances but things went hay wire because due attention was not paid and the situation got worse. According to the Ministry the reason for delay was that they don't have the powers to recruit/hold DPCs because of Expenditure Refoms Committee and Geeta Krishnan Committee's recommendations and they have to depend upon other agencies like approval by the Finance Ministry in case of promotions and SSC, UPSC, DoPT to fill up or promote their employees. The Committee then called all the four departments under one roof to settle their issues. Had it been done earlier by the Ministry lots of aggrieved employees would have been discouraged to take the shelter of courts and would have reduced some burden on the courts. The Committee then impressed upon all the Departments to use electronic means in identifying vacancies, sending it to the recruitment agencies etc. The Committee felt that these steps would not only save lots of time but also help in retaining precious talent. …Excerpts from Parliament Standing committee’s Report.